The Witch's House
by BakaNekoItaly
Summary: Italy wakes up in the middle of the forest, and is unable to find his way out. He goes into a witch's house and he is forced to fight his way through for survival.
1. Chapter 1

It was a particularly sunny day, though it was very cloudy as well. Italy opened his eyes and sat up, noticing he was sitting in a patch of flowers. He looked around, he was confused. How did he get here? He got up slowly and he grabbed his bag. He looked through the pockets and found a letter. He pulled it out and began to read it, even though some of it was obviously missing.

_mind if you go to his house, but just stay away from the forest. Hope to see you home soon. -Rome_

Italy was confused by this but thought nothing of it as he put it back in his bag. He slung the bag onto his back and noticed a grayish-blue cat with a red, black, and yellow ribbon tied around it's neck, sitting on a tree stump. He smiled and walked over. He reached out to pet it when the cat looked at him with it's peircing blue eyes.

"You're up I see. That's good, I was beginning to worry."

Italy stared at it. Did that cat seriously just talk?

"Humans shouldn't be out here. Too dangerous," the cat said, licking it's paw and swiping it over it's ears.

"This must be a dream," Italy said and the cat looked at him.

"Nope, this isn't a dream. My name is Germouser by the way. What's your name?"

"Italy," he replied as he began to head down the path.

"No good going that way, you can't get out," Germouser called after him, but Italy ignored him. He came to a part of the path where the trees were less thick. He walked through them and saw a machete laying on the ground. He walked over and picked it up. He walked back out and over the the huge rose bush blocking his way. He tried to cut them with the machete, but he was pushed back by the force.

"What the... These can't be normal roses," he said as he grabbed on of the vines and tugged on it. He sighed and went back the way he came. When he got back to the tree stump, he saw Germouser was no longer there and he saw the path lead to somewhere else. He headed north, since that was the only direction he could take at the moment. He came to a small rose bush and used the machete to cut them. After he finished cutting them, the machete broke.

"Well, it was rusted. I doubt I'll need it," Italy said as he discarded it and headed up the path. There, he came across a house.

"What is a house doing all the way out here," he wondered aloud. He looked to his right and saw Germouser sitting on a tree stump. He walked over to him and Germouser tilted his head.

"Huh? What is it?"

"The roses blocked my path."

"Well, I told you that you couldn't get out that way," Germouser said. Just then, the door to the house opened with a creak. Italy looked at the door with wide eyes.

"You going to go in?" Germouser asked. Italy was about to say no, but Germouser went on, "Might as well, if you can't leave."

Italy knew the cat was right. So he walked over the door. He took a deep breath and looked back at Germouser, who was staring at him intently. He sighed and without any further hesitation, Italy walked into the house.

* * *

Yes, based of the game The Witch's House, but with a few modifications.


	2. Chapter 2

The house wasn't much on the inside. It was just a room with two red rugs and two candle holders on each side of the only door in the room. Italy walked through the door into another room. There was a red stain, which he assumed to be blood, and a note on the wall. Walking around the red stain, he walked up to the note and read it.

_COME TO MY ROOM_

"How strange," he said as he walked out. The room now led to two different rooms and the door he went in before was gone. He looked beside him at Germouser, who was looking up at him with wide eyes.

"I decided I'd follow you, in case you need help. Incidentally, where the hölle did you come out from?"

"There was a door here a second ago, but it's not here now."

"Weird," Germouser said. He sat down and Italy sighed and went to the left room first. There was a dusty old bookshelf, a door, and a work bench with a pair of scissors chained to it. He walked over to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked.

"I need to find the key," he mumbled as he left the room and went to the door on the right side. There was a door and a narrow hallway leading north. He went up the narrow hallway and saw an old clock and another door. He went through the door and found himself in a small office. He saw a book on the desk and walked over to it. He noticed something was written down.

_I was sick, so no one played with me. My "father" and my "mother" didn't love me._

"Wow, that's sad," Italy said, his eyes saddening a bit. He looked around and walked to the cabinet and tried to open it, but it wouldn't open. There was writing on it.

_Opens when the house returns to normal._

"Nothing in this house makes sense!" Italy growled in frustration. He looked around and saw presents stacked up. He walked over and picked up a teddy bear. He put it in his bag and walked toward the door. He was about to open the door when a cookie tin fell off the pile, making him jump. He looked at the pile before he left the room, heading down the narrow hallway and into the other room. In there, he saw a lone teddy bear in a basket and a note on the wall. He walked over to the note on the wall, which read, "BEARS IN THE BASKET."

"So I put the teddy bear in the basket with the other one?"

He walked over and tried to put it in the basket, but it wouldn't fit. The limbs were getting in the way.

"Maybe I need to cut off the limbs," Italy sighed as he walked back to the room with the scissors. He cut of the bears limbs and noticed there was now blood on the scissors. He panicked, thinking he cut himself, but when he inspected his hands, there wasn't any cuts on him. He noticed there was blood on the bear, where the limbs used to be.

"No... How is it bleeding?" He wondered as he touch the sticky liquid. He shook his head and walked to the door. Suddenly, a force swept by his face, making him jump back. The force hit the wall, leaving a bloody pawprint. Not just any pawprint, a bear's pawprint. Italy just stared at it in horror. He closed his eyes and ran out the door, heading for the room with the basket in it. As he ran past the candle holders, the candles blew out, but he ignored them.

He walked into the room and set the torso in the basket with the other bear. He heard the sound of a door unlocking from somewhere. He walked toward the door and was about to walk out when he heard something move behind him. He turned around and saw that the basket had moved a foot toward him.

He was beginning to feel frightened, but he walked out and headed back toward the room with the scissors. He walked passed the table and the vase fell off and broke. He stared at it before continuing to walk.

He was walking past Germouser when a huge teddy bear broke through the door. Italy screamed and ran back toward the room with the basket. He slammed the door and leaned against it, waiting for the giant teddy bear to break through the door, but nothing happened. He peeked out the door and saw it was no longer there. He walked out slowly and continued his way to the other room. He walked to the door and heard something fall behind him. When he turned around, he saw the bear limbs laying on the floor. He walked over and picked them up, putting them in his bag.

He walked to the door and tested it. Once he saw it was unlocked, he walked through it to the next room, with a new challenge waiting for him.


	3. Chapter 3

He was in a huge dining room that had a long table with eight chairs around it. It had a fireplace on the other side of the room, with two shelves. The shelves had three wine bottles on them. He walked to the chair closest to him and pushed it out of the way. He picked the papers up on the table and read them.

_TASTE POISON_

"Taste poison? Who in the world would do that?" he wondered as he walked around the table to where the soup was. He pushed the chair to the side and stared at the soup.

"Is this the poison?" he wondered as he walked away from it and walked to the door on the other side of the room. There was a note beside the door that said, "THE COOK IS BUSY, LEND A HAND." He sighed and went through the door.

He heard the sound of someone cutting something on a cutting board. He saw another door and walked over to it, but it was locked. He headed up to where the sound was coming from. There was a knife moving across the cutting board, but nobody was standing there, or so he thought. When he tried to walk in front of the cutting board, somebody blocked his way.

"Ah, I'm busy, so busy..."

"Do you need help?" Italy asked and the person grabbed his arm and pushed his wrist on the cutting board.

"A hand is exactly what I needed," the person said as the knife raised up.

"W-Wait! Don't use my hand, u-use this," he said as he quickly pulled out the bear limbs with his free hand. The invisible person let go of his wrist and took the limbs and Italy darted away.

"Thank you. I was in need of a hand, or two. Let me show my appreciation," they said as they gave Italy a silver key and continued to hit the knife on the cutting board. He walked back to the door, but the key didn't work on it. He sighed and went to ask the person what the key was for when he noticed an opened book on the table. He walked over to it. It was called "Dining of Aristocrats." Italy sighed and began to read.

_People of ruling and wealthy classes have long enjoyed dining with silverware. By using such hard-to-clean cutlery, they could hire servants to demonstrate their wealth. In addition, silver utensils change color upon contact with poison, making them quite useful._

"Oh," he said as he walked back to the room with the poison soup. He walked over to the bowl and set the key in it. It changed color and he heard a door unlock. He walked back toward the kitchen and jumped when a wine bottle fell off the shelf. He sighed and walked back in the kitchen. The first thing he noticed was that the cutting noise had stopped and the book was closed. He walked over to the door and walked through it.

He was walking up the steps when he heard another pair of footsteps. He walked around the corner, but the footsteps stopped and no one was there.

"I must be hearing things," he sighed and continued up the stairs. He came to a hallway. He walked passed the door and saw Germouser. He walked over to him.

"I'm a decorative cat ornament," he said, keeping a straight face. "Haha, I'm kidding."

"How is it you get here before me?" Italy asked and the cat just shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm just making sure you don't get hurt."

Italy sighed and walked forward to the door. It was locked and had "SAVE THE BUTTERFLY" written on it, so he headed into the room on his right. He saw bookshelves and a few books scattered across he room. He walked to the closest bookshelf on his left and pulled out a book.

_Keys do not open doors in the witch's house. Something else must serve as a key._

_The form of the house changes based upon the witch's magic._

"Good to know," he mumbled as he put the book up and walked to the bookshelf in the far left corner.

He pulled out a book titled "A Funny Story" so he decided to read it.

_Once upon a time, there was a rich man pulling along a cart full of treasure. His cart had broken down in the woods, but there came a passing hunter and his dog. The rich man pleaded to the hunter to keep a close eye on his cart, to which the hunter agreed. The rich man went to get a new cart. Meanwhile, the hunter kept watch. Night soon fell, and the hunter grew worried for his elderly mother still at home. So the hunter told the dog to watch the cart and went home to check on his mother. When the man returned, he saw the dog on guard. So he gave the dog a reward for his master, a silver coin, to carry in his mouth. The dog ran all the way home and brought his master the coin. But the hunter flew into a rage. "I told you to watch the cart, and what did you do? You stole from it!" So the master killed the dog._

The chair closest to Italy laughed, making him jump and throw the book at it.

"What is wrong with this house! That wasn't funny, that was terrible!" he screamed as he backed away from the chair. He walked to another bookshelf and pulled out some old newspaper clippings.

_XX/XX: XX Residence Burns Down_

_XX and his wife XX were found dead in the wreckage. Their bodies were found to have stab wounds, so it is suspected they were murdered and the building then set aflame. Additionally, XX's only son Feliciano has been missing since the fire._

_The police_

"Feliciano... Where have I heard that before," Italy wondered as he walked to the books laying on the floor. He noticed there was something blocking his way, another invisible person.

"Sorting these books isn't going well... Need something to tie them together..." the person said, ignoring Italy completely. He walked out and went to the room he passed earlier. He walked toward the room and looked around. He saw a big spider web with a yellow butterfly caught in it. He walked over to one of the barrels and found some rope. He took it and walked back out. When he walked past the armor guard, he could have sworn it moved, but he chose to ignore it. He walked back to the room he was in before. He walked to the invisible person and gave them the rope.

"Ah! You're giving me this?" the person asked and Italy nodded. "Thank you! Take this."

He gave him a Book of Death. Italy took the book and walked out of the room. He heard something moving and when he glanced around the corner, he saw the armor guard moving away. He walked into the room across the hall. In it was two glasses cases. He walked down the narrow hallway and soon found a bookcase. He put the Book of Death in the bookcase and heard a lid pop up. He walked passed the painting and heard something moving. He walked around the corner carefully and walked up.

That's when a red skull started to chase him. He screamed and ran back. He ran around the bookcase and the skull followed him. He ran out and past the glass cases, out into the hallway. He waited a few moments, and when he saw that the skull didn't come out, he walked back in. He walked down to the other glass case and saw a blue butterfly model. He took it and went back to the room with the spider web. He took the butterfly out of the web and put the model in the web before leaving the room.

When he walked out and the butterfly flew out of his hands, and flew through a hole in the wall. He then heard the door unlock. He walked toward the door and noticed the door on the right was opened. He walked in cautiously. He walked to where the invisible person once stood and noticed that they had hung themself. He backed away and the table moved forward. He closed his eyes and ran out of the room.

He ran through the door and up the steps. He ran away from the awful sight he had seen. He wanted out of this house as soon as possible.


	4. Chapter 4

He stopped to rest in a small room that had a candle holder on the wall. The candle holder had blood all around it, but Italy tried to ignore it the best he could. He walked to the other door and walked out. He took three steps when he saw a knife fly at him. He stepped to the side and began to run. He heard more knives fly at him, but he made it out the door before one could pierce through him. He walked into the first room he saw. He saw a frog in a pond as he walked over to it. The frog looked at him and hopped out of the pond. He picked it up and walked out of the room.

He walked down the hall and saw Germouser. He walked over to him and the cat gave him a wide-eyed look.

"Hallo. By the way, this is a witch's house," he said and Italy just stared at him.

"I knew that."

"You knew that? Right, right," the cat said before resuming his grooming. Italy walked past him and tried to open the door, but it wouldn't open. He walked back in the hallway and looked over, seeing a thin, wire bridge. He walked over to it and stared across, seeing a lever on the other side. He put the frog down and pointed across the bridge.

"Can you pull the lever for me?" he asked and the frog responded by jumping across the wire bridge. He jumped on the lever, making it fall to the other side and Italy heard an unlocking noise. The frog hopped back over and he picked it up and walked back to the door. Suddenly, he saw someone running toward him, but they disappeared before making it to him. Italy felt a cold chill run down his back.

"No way... He... He looked just like me..." Italy murmured, and Germouser looked at him.

"Who looked like you?" he asked, but Italy shook his head.

"Nothing, never mind," he said as he walked into the room that was locked earlier. He walked into a dining room and when he walked past the table, the other side looked exactly the same except fo a few differences. He looked around and saw a note on the wall. He walked over to it and read it.

_MAKE A MIRROR IMAGE_

"Make mirror image..." he repeated to himself as he walked into the middle of the room. The first thing he noticed was that the paintings and the things on the shelf were different. He walked over to one of the paintings and pushed the button underneath the frame, which made the picture change. He changed it to one of two women standing together, and went to the other picture and changed it to the same one. He then rearranged the things on the shelf.

He saw there was a frog on one of the chairs so he went to the other side of the room and put the frog on the same chair. He went to the small cupboard and got a piece of cake. He went to the table and set it down. He then got the plant and moved it to the other side. He walked over to the vase and saw that it held five roses while the other one held six. He walked over to the table and took the rose before heading back to the other vase and putting it in there.

He looked around and saw he was done, but he didn't hear an unlocking sound. He then realized the note was still on the wall. He walked over to it and tore the note off the wall, which was followed by the unlocking sound. He walked past the frog and heard it croak at him. He looked at it as it jumped off the chair and over to him. He smiled and picked it up before heading into the other room. He saw another diary and walked over to it.

_My "father" and my "mother" didn't love me. So I X them. I've been in this house ever since._

"I really wonder what X means," he said as he walked out of the room. He walked into a barren room that had two pieces of paper laying on the floor. He picked one up and read it.

_HE'S HUNGRY_

"What..." he looked at the door and walked over. He could tell immediately that something was on the other side. He pressed his ear to the door and he could hear it moving. And it was something big, he could tell. He then looked through the viewing window and he could see slimy black scales and something big coiling up. He then saw narrow eyes looking at him and whatever it was tackled the door. Italy stumbled back and stared at the door in horror. He walked back over and looked through the window again. It was a giant snake.

"So... The snake is hungry? But there's nothing to feed-" he stopped short and looked down at the frog he held.

"No..." he whispered as the frog looked up at him. He closed his eyes and put the frog in the window. The frog was of course reluctant and it struggled but he forced it through. Something hit the door and Italy took a step back as he held his tears back. He walked to the door and looked through the window. He didn't see the snake so he went in. He saw blood on the ground and a crack in the wall. He sighed sadly, whispering sorry before he went through the other door. He walked down and saw multiple cat statue's lined up. He saw Germouser so he walked over. He didn't look at him.

"A cat statue... Kidding!" Italy frowned and walked away.

"Hey! don't ignore me!" Germouser growled but Italy ignored him and kept walking. When he walked past the last statue, the head spun around. Italy looked at it with wide eyes and bolted out the door. He walked up the steps carefully since the room was dark. He saw a note and squinted his eyes to read it.

_GO WHERE ONLY ONE EYE IS OPEN_

He sighed and walked down the dark hallway. He saw a face painted on the wall with both its eyes closed. The next painting was the same and the last painting had both eyes painted opened. He stared at the painting for a while.

"Only one eye is opened..." he said aloud as he stepped to the side. He pushed on the wall and it broke open. He went through the opening which led to another dark room. He walked up the narrow walkway, coming to another door. He took a deep breath and walked through it.


	5. Chapter 5

When he walked in he saw a piece of paper lying on the floor. Already used to this routine, he picked it up and read it.

_MAKE SOUND IN FOUR ROOMS_

"Alright," he whispered as he walked over to Germouser.

"Hey. This floor's pretty quiet," Germouser said as he looked up. Italy nodded.

"Si, I have to make sound in four rooms."

"Really? Good luck," he said and Italy turned away from him, going into the room on the left. He looked around and jumped when he saw his reflection in the mirror. He face palmed and walked over to the cupboard. Unfortunately, it was locked. He walked to the note on the wall.

_PLAY THE MUSIC BOX WITH 12_

He walked over the the music box and played it. He cringed at the music it made, noticing it was missing a key. He turned it off and went into the room and the far bottom left corner. There was a small round table with a white box on it. He walked over and jumped when a jack-in-the-box popped out. He side and walked over to the desk with the diary on it. He read it, hoping it had something useful.

_I X all the friends who came to my house after that. They were all eaten by the house. But it wasn't enough._

"X... Does it mean kill?" he asked nobody in particular. He left the room and walked past the coat rack in the other room, not even reacting when the hat fell off. He walked out and went up the hall way. He looked at the life-sized toy soldier before walking into the room. He walked into the room and saw a piano in the middle. He walked over to the door and tried to open it. Of course, it was locked. He noticed some small text on the door.

_MAKE SOUND IN FOUR ROOMS_

He looked around and saw the note. He walked over to it.

_YOU NEED NOT PLAY_

"Yea, definitely taking that advice, something tells me this piano is dangerous," he said as he walked over to the bookshelf. He pulled out a book called "Eye Studies" and began to read it.

_People have different eye colors. We know the following about women in this region in particular. A woman's eye color depends on her hair._

_The four hair colors are silver, black, gold, and red._

_The four eye colors are brown, green, blue, and red._

_Silver-haired women have red eyes, and brown-eyes women can have either blonde or red hair._

He was confused as he put the book back. He walked out of the room and into the room he skipped walked up to the note he saw and read it.

_BLUE EYES SEE THE SCORE_

"Blue eyes..." he said as he walked past the pumpkin and up to the paintings. He saw a black haired women with blue eyes and walked backwards from her painting. He turned around when he reached the wall and saw a crack in the wall. He saw a white sheet and reached in to get it out, pulling out some sheet music. Suddenly, the room went black and he turned around, seeing the woman from the painting coming toward him. He screamed and ran around her. He ran to her painting on the wall and tore it down, watching as she disappeared.

He took a shaky breath and walked out of the room. He looked back and jumped back and the same boy from before ran at him, disappearing once again before he reached him. He sighed and went to the room with the piano in it. He placed the sheet music on it and jumped when the piano began to play the music. The vase on the table shook and spat out a turnkey. He walked over and picked it up.

He walked out and back into the room with the paintings. He walked over to the door, but it was locked as well.

He looked around and walked to the pumpkin near him. He hit it and it made a loud sound. He hit again multiple times and soon the door flew open. He walked over cautiously and walked in.

In the room was a vase, chair, mirror, clock and two statues. In between to statues was a note and he walked over to it.

_I CAN BE THE SUN. I CAN BE SAND. AND I CAN BE A BIRD. WHAT AM I?_

"Well, the statues are out of the question. So is the vase, mirror and chair. So the clock... I don't understand," he looked at the clock and walked over to it, seeing writing on it.

_Am I "a clock"?_

"Yes," he said and the writing slowly changed.

_...Correct_

Suddenly, a white flash filled the room, making everything but the clock disappear. Another turnkey fell out and he picked up. He looked around and left, going to the first room he went in. The mirror shattered, scaring him. He looked over and saw the boy sitting at the table with a tea cup in front of him. He ran over, but as soon as he got there, he disappeared. He walked over to the spot the boy had been sitting at and the teacup on the table behind the sofa fell off and broke. He felt the spot on the sofa and it was warm.

"Then... It's not my imagination... Who is he..." he wondered. He walked over to the music box and put one of the turnkeys in it. It opened and began to play music. He smiled and left the room. He left the room and went back to the room with the clock. The clock was in the middle of the room now and there was a chair in there. He moved the chair in front of the clock. He climbed up on the chair and put the other turnkey in it, making the clock start ticking. He got down and left, also walking out of the room with the paintings. He heard an unlocking noise and he walked back toward the piano room. The toy soldier fell down, but Italy ignored it. He walked into the piano room and left through the other door.

The room was dark and it had a woman statue in the middle. He noticed a crack on the wall and walked over to it. He pushed on it and the wall crumbled. He kneeled down and crawled in it. It was a small room with a desk and another diary entry.

_I don't like illness. Because it kept me from going outside. Because it made no one love me._

"How awful..." he said as he crawled back out. He walked over to the statue.

"My ring... It's not here..."

He stepped away and walked toward the door that led to the piano room. He heard a crash and jumped. He walked back in and the piano was no longer playing and the wall where the note used to be was gone, replace by a fireplace. He walked over to it and looked inside, seeing a hole and an iron ladder. He leaned back out and saw and big black arrow above the fire place, pointing down. He crawled into the fireplace and descended down the steps.

He noticed he was back in the dining room. He could hear something boiling, so he headed into the kitchen. He walked over to it and stopped the fire. He used a nearby cloth and took the lid off. He looked inside and saw a wiener and cabbages. He wanted to search it, but he needed something to do it with. He saw a door and walked into the room. He saw skeletons scattered across the room. He walked over to one and took the gold chopsticks in it's ribs. He went back into the other room and used the chopsticks to search inside the pot, finding a ring. He went back and put the chopsticks back in the skeleton's ribs and left the room.

He walked out of the room and heard something coming down the stairs. He ran back toward the fireplace and ran around the hole that opened in the floor. He went up the ladder and crawled out of the fireplace. He went back to the room with the statue and put the ring back on her finger.

"...This is my... Thank you," the statue said and Italy heard the door unlock. He went to the door and walked in. He took on step toward the steps and heard a crash. He walked out and saw the woman of the statue had fallen over. He shook his head and went back through the door, heading up the stairs. He reached a hallway. He walked down the hallway when something crashed through a window and came straight for him. He screamed and was about to run when the ghost appeared in front of him, saving him form the thing that busted through the window. He stood there in shocked silence.

He went down the rest of the hallway and went through the door. He came to a room with four tables and three dolls. There was a red, green, purple, and blue table. A doll in a green dress on the red table, a doll with a blue dress on the green table, and a doll with a red dress on the blue table. He rearranged them so they were sitting on the table that was the same color as their dresses and the door unlocked. He headed in for his next challenge.


	6. Chapter 6

When he walked in he noticed he was in a beautiful garden with a huge tree in it. He headed down the walk way and saw Germouser sitting on the bench.

"Hey, seems this is the top floor," he said and Italy smiled happily.

"Really? Maybe I'll be able to get out of here soon!"

"Ja, maybe," he said. Italy walked over to tree and saw a white flowers. He looked down at it.

"How do you do?" The flower asked. He took a step back.

"...That's totally not normal," he said. He saw a not on the wall and ran past the tree to it.

_BIRDS EAT GREENERY_

"Alright. I guess I need to find a bird to eat those vines," he said as he headed back down. He saw two doors so he decided to start with the one on the left. He was in a room with a rectangular table and some yellow follows sitting in eat chair. He walked past them and noticed something under the side table beside the beds. He crawled over them and found a skull. He put it in his bag and crawled back over the beds. He saw door in the left corner and went in. He saw a diary and walked over, noticing this was written in red ink.

_Then a boy came over to play. A boy with brown hair and amber eyes._

"What," he said as he took a step back. He then realized it wasn't written in red ink. It was written in blood. He left the room and walked over to the yellow flowers and listened to them talk.

"Honestly, she's such a nuisance."

"Oh, won't somebody X that girl? If someone did... Ah, yes. We'd share some of our wonderful pollen."

"To think! Without her, we would be the most beautiful of the garden."

They all started yelling in agreement, but he was confused. Who were they talking about? He then noticed something written on the wall in blood. He walked over and read it, a shiver running down his spine when he saw what it said.

_X THE FLOWERS AND YOU'LL DIE TOO_

He backed away and went into the other room. It was too dark so he walked out and left the room, heading into the other one. He saw a book on the table and walked over to it. It was called "The Talkative Plants." He rolled his eyes and began to read it.

_The flower ladies are beautiful, and can speak. These are their characteristics._

_The white flowers are most beautiful of the garden. When touched by rain, oddly, their petals glow._

_The red grasses are knowledgeable. But they're always lying, so be careful when conversing with them._

_The yellow flowers are lovely to a fault. The pollen produced by these flowers is a strong medicine that can kill or give life._

He walked down the narrow hall and walked past two prison cells. He jerked on both doors, hearing someone moan inside the second one.

"Medicine... You... Got any?"

"No, I don't," Italy replied and the person spat at him. He backed away and walked to the birdcage. Something was flapping it's wings inside the birdcage. He tried to open the door, but it was firmly shut.

He left the cage alone and went to talk to the red grass.

"You want to know how to X a flower?" one asked and Italy nodded.

"I forget what exactly the proper way to X is... It was either cutting it up or uprooting it."

"None of the three ways are proper. You should just give up on it," the second one said.

"Uprooting and plucking are both proper ways to X," the third one chimed in. Italy walked away from them and went back down the hall way. He saw a skull sitting in the chair so he picked it up and put it in his bag. He left the room and walked over to the white flower. He kneeled down in front of it.

"The grass said either uprooting or plucking..." he mumbled aloud. He plucked the flower and it let out an odd shriek. He saw white petals on the ground so he picked them up. He then went in the room with the yellow flowers in it.

"I heard it! I heard her ugly wail!" one squealed in delight and the others joined, laughing maniacally.

"I did it for you. Can I have some of your pollen?" Italy asked and the flower gave him some white powder. He walked out and saw the boy sitting on the bench beside Germouser. He walked over after he disappeared and stood there.

"Is something wrong?" Germouser asked and Italy looked at him in disbelief.

"You didn't see him?"

"See who?" the gray cat asked and Italy shook his head before walking into the right room. He walked over to the cell with the sick person and pulled out the white powder. He jumped when the person grabbed the bars.

"HEY! Gimme that!" the person shouted and he gave him the white powder. The person took it and moved away.

"Ahh... aah? Wait a sec. Don;t have a... Without that..." The person hit the wall, making the bird cage fall of the table.

"Without THAT, I can't USE this!"

Italy walked over to the bird cage.

He saw the hinges were loose, so he pried the door open. Something invisible leapt out. He walked up and went up to the vines behind the tree, seeing they were gone. He smiled and walked through the door. Inside was some old dressers and a sign. He walked up to it.

_THE HALL IS POISON_

_PASS WITH COLORLESS SHOES_

He walked over to the dresser and rifled through them, finding a skull in one and an empty bottle in another. He found it difficult to breath and since there was nothing else to do in this room, he left. He went back in the room with the two cells and headed up the north walkway. He saw a door up a head and one to his right. He took the one on his right. He walked down the hall and saw a pot and a note. He reached in the pot and pulled out another skull. He then read the note.

_THE WATER IS SEALED BY THE SKULLS_

He walked into the other room and saw a bunch of skulls and a lever was on the wall.

"A puzzle," he said as he stared at the skulls for a while. It didn't take him long to figure it out. He walked to north left and put one skull facing forward and did the same in the north right corner. He went to the south left corner and set it facing left and put the one in the south right corner facing right. He went to the level and heard running water. He smiled and left the room.

He walked down and the pot broke he looked at it and soon a huge skull broke into the room. He screamed and ran back into the room. The skull followed him and he ran around the miniature skulls and out the room. He could here the skull was still following him, so he continued to run. He ran out of the walkway and noticed it wasn't following him anymore. He leaned against a wall and slid down as the tears ran down his face.

"I want to get out... I'm so sick of this!" he sobbed as he covered his face with his hands. He sat there for a while and when he felt he had finally calmed down, he got up and went into the other room. He walked over to the water and kneeled down, remembering what the book said about the white petals. He filled the bottle with water and put the petals in it. He smiled when the petals glowed. He smiled and left, going to the dark room.

He walked through the whole thing and found a jade pipe. He smiled and began to leave. He heard something following, so he began to run. He neared the exit and kept running, the walk way seeming longer than what it was. He dropped the bottle, but that didn't stop him. He soon found the door and walked out. He breathed out slowly and went to the room with the cells.

He went to the one with the person in it and tossed the jade pipe in. The person took and snapped it.

"Ahh, yes. This is... Mine. It's mine..."

The person vanished into the cell and Italy heard someone leave the other one. He walked into the other cell and saw something wrapped in a cloth. He took the cloth of and found shoes. Then he read the note on the wall.

_LET THEM BLEED_

He walked out and went to the room with the water. He put the shoes in the water and the water ran red and the shoes were now clear. He stood up and walked out. He went down the walkway and saw the chair shook. He walked over and to it and the huge skull came through the door. He screamed and ran back up the walkway and into the room with the water. The skull didn't follow him so he walked out and sighed in relief. He walked out and went to the poisonous hallway.

He put on the shoes and walked down the hallway. His breathing became difficult and he felt like he was going to pass out. He passed one door and kept going until he saw another one. He stepped off the poison and the shoes shattered before he walk through the door. He sighed when he felt like he could breath again.

"Hey? I have a question," he looked over and saw Germouser.

"What is it?"

"What do you suppose a 'friend' is?"

"I don't know," he said as he walked up to the diary.

_I didn't X him. Because he saved me from my sickness. So I made him my "friend."_

"What..." Italy stared at the diary with wide eyes. "He made me... His friend?"

He looked up and saw an opening. He walked through the opening and came to a door that had writing on it.

_Top-Left, Top-Right, Bottom-Left, Bottom-Right_

He thought for a moment then entered '6006' and the door opened. He walked into the room and saw a bunch of medicine. He walked over to one and pulled out a small bottle. He walked past the window and something flew through the window, breaking it. He walked over and saw it was a doll head. Two red eyes came out of no where and he ran from them. He ran out the door and kept running. The floor was completely red but he didn't stop. He went out into the poisonous hallway and went to the room he passed earlier. He saw the body of a doll and walked over and picked it up. He left the room and walked out of the hallway. Germouser was following him, but Italy didn't mind.

He went back to the room with the dolls and he put the head back on the body of the doll. He then sat it on the purple table and the red table moved. He was about to walk through the opening when Germouser sat down.

"Just so you know...I don't particularly care if you get out of here or if the house eats you alive. Either one's fine by me, so I'm willing to let you escape... Don't die on me..."

"Okay," Italy said as he jumped down the hole. He was in complete darkness as he walked forward. It took a while before he reached a door with a note.

_COME TO MY ROOM_

He walked through the door and up two flights of stairs. He came to a hallway and walked down it and came to a doorway. In front of that doorway was Germouser's corpse. Italy covered his mouth and tears welled up. He carefully stepped over him and went into the room.


	7. Chapter 7

In the room was a bed with blood on it. The floor was also stained with blood, a chair was toppled over and there was a spilled cup on the floor. He saw another diary on the desk and walked over to it to read it.

_My sickness was going to kill me. So... I took his body from him. I lived on in his body. That's fine right? Because we're "friends." He gave me his body... Because we're "friends." So, today... We should play some more. Right? Italy?_

Suddenly, the boy whose ghost he had seen all through the house crashed through the window. Italy noticed he had no legs and his eyes were gouged out. He tried to say something. Italy just stared at him until the boy charged at him. Italy screamed and ran from him.

He ran all the way back, paintings were breaking, a vase fell off a table, bloody hand prints appeared on the wall. He suddenly remember the cabinet and ran to it. The boy followed and he found a knife in there. He ran around him and ran out. He soon got to the exit and left the house. He ran down the path, arriving in the area he woke up in. He saw a letter and picked it up.

_Dear Italy,_

_I'm sorry for yelling at you yesterday. There's an old legend that says a witch lives in the forest, and kidnaps children who get lost there. Your friend's house is very near the forest, so... I was worried about you. Your friend's name was Feliciano, right? I don't_

"It's the first part of the letter..." he said as he headed down the path. He walked over to the roses. He opened the bottle and poured on the roses, watching them wither away and die. He stepped over the dead roses and kept walking. It soon began to rain.

He walked through the rain for a while before thunder sounded and he heard someone crawling behind him. He turned around and saw the boy there. The boy groaned as he dragged himself over.

"Boy, you're stubborn," he said as he walked forward and stabbed the boy with the knife.

"How long are you going to chase me? You know that body won't last long."

The boy tried to talk, but it came out choppy and hard to understand, but Italy understood perfectly. He laughed and took a step back.

"Hm? 'Give it back?' No way. This body hurts much less. You gave it to me in the first place. Why should I have to give it back? Right... Italy?" he said, his eyes changing from amber to magenta.

"You felt so sorry for me. I couldn't even move from my bed. That's why I used my magic to trade bodies with you."

Italy tried to say something else and Feliciano laughed.

"Just for a day? I guess I did say that. I was surprised you could trap me with my own power... but, to no avail. After all, it's my house, yes? It wouldn't be killing me anytime soon. I was guided by that house all the way. So I was ensured to escape."

He kneeled down and tilted his head.

"...Still not dead? I have to applaud your tenacity. Ah, could it be... Are you that worried about your grandfather? Oh, I know. You and your grandfather, Italy. A close family. Those memories stayed in your body. He's a kind man. A hunter, isn't he? And he even sent you that letter. What a good grandfather.

So then, I suppose you're worried about what'll happen when you're gone? It'll be just fine. I'll give him Italy's share of love. And I'll take his share of love, too. So-"

"Italy?"

Feliciano turned around and saw Rome. He ran over to him

"Italy? Are you safe? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Feliciano shook his head and ran behind Rome. Rome looked at him.

"What? Why?"

Italy began to crawl over. He tried to say grandfather, but he couldn't form the words right. Rome held his gun up.

"Stay away, monster!" he shouted as he shot Italy twice, killing him. They both stood in silence for a while before he turned to Feliciano.

"Come on, let's go home."

"Okay."

They walked away and Feliciano giggled. After they were gone, Germouser's ghost walked over to Italy's body and touched his nose to it, making it disappear. He soon disappeared as well, marking this the end of the challenge known as the Witch's House...


End file.
